Economist

FCA - Financial Conduct Authority
London - United Kingdom
S: £46,000-63,000 plus benefits

Division  
Strategy & Competition

The Role  
We are currently recruiting for Economists to join our Economics Department.

As a Economist you will have a rare opportunity to understand and shape the workings of the financial sector at a time of considerable change. You will enjoy exposure to many retail and wholesale financial markets, with the opportunity to do meaningful work that makes a real difference.

You will be part of a thriving professional community and enjoy a challenging environment with a range of opportunities for professional and personal development.

We are particularly interested in people with an interest or experience in policy development (cost-benefit analyses and evaluation) and an ability to frame problems and distil solutions in an easily digestible format.

What does the role involve? What are the key responsibilities?  

• You will be responsible for providing economic advice on a range of issues relevant to the FCA. Although you will have a focus on retail financial markets (eg general insurance, mortgage, high cost credit, retail banking and payment services), you may also provide economic advice on wholesale market issues
• Using both theory and empirical evidence you will advise FCA teams on the likely impact of their proposed interventions
• You will be responsible for agreeing the analytical approach to cost-benefit analyses of future policies with the relevant policy team and will be required to communicate clearly to internal and external audiences (including non-technical senior stakeholders)
• You will also help devise methodologies and approaches to evaluate previous FCA interventions and contribute to improving the FCA efficiency and effectiveness
• Drawing on a mixture of quantitative and qualitative techniques, you will be responsible for scoping, managing and delivering analysis to ensure our evidence base for policy making and evaluation is robust and rigorous.
• You will also have access to data-sets available to the FCA, as the financial services regulator, to conduct your analyses
•You will have the opportunity to play an integral role in driving our decision-making process, directly influencing our policymaking activity and our approach to regulation
• Develop and support more junior economists within the Competition and Economics Division. For example, you will have the opportunity to work manage junior team members for some projects
• You will be joining a multicultural community of economists, econometricians, behavioural scientists and data scientists and can attend academic and industry conferences

What will the candidate get from the role?  

You will have the opportunity to work on projects developed and managed by the team and influence the FCA's work through a thorough and robust analysis of the impacts of the FCA's activities.

You will also have the chance to develop further your economic and/or econometric skills, as well as professional skills, through both formal and informal opportunities, such as online training and multi-day courses.

The role offers an attractive package of salary and benefits, and extensive development opportunities in applied economics, financial services and broader professional skills.

Skills/Experience Required  

Minimum
We're a signatory to the Government's Disability Confident scheme. This means that we guarantee an interview to any disabled candidates entering under the scheme, should they meet the minimum criteria for a role.

• Proven experience in applying microeconomics to analysis of market problems
• A degree in economics (or related discipline) with significant relevant professional experience

Essential
• Understanding of the techniques used in cost benefit analysis and ex-post impact evaluation
• Experience of providing high-quality economic advice
• Experience in delivering analytical projects, including identifying and analysing different sources of information to inform analysis
• Ability to work collaboratively and effectively with internal and external stakeholders, developing and maintaining working relationships
• Ability to deliver and thrive in a fast-moving environment, maintaining pace and quality of delivery
• Ability to make a strong personal impact, persuading with well-reasoned arguments and challenging where appropriate
• Ability to frame problems conceptually, structure and prioritise analysis to address these, and distil results to generate insight
• You will have experience in communicating and explaining complex issues with clarity, simplicity and precision to both specialist and non-specialist audiences both orally and in writing

Desirable
• Experience of financial services markets and/or an understanding of financial services regulation
• An understanding of the FCA approach to cost benefit analysis and ex post evaluation

About the FCA  
At the FCA, we're creating a fair and more resilient financial system. We're establishing more transparent relationships between financial services and their customers, building trust in financial markets and protecting vulnerable consumers.

Divisional Information  
The Economics Department of the Competition and Economics Division (CED) is looking to recruit Senior Associates to provide economic advice and analysis on the impact of the FCA's proposed and past interventions, to help shape the economic analysis underpinning FCA policy changes in financial markets and to help advise on the economic issues underpinning the FCA's work.

The Economics Department, which is formed by a vibrant mix of UK and international staff, works closely with colleagues from across the FCA to ensure high-quality analysis and effective decisions across all aspects of FCA regulation. It is responsible for providing economic and financial analysis for FCA's policy making and market studies, and for the quality of the FCA's Cost Benefit Analyses (CBAs). It also leads the FCA's ex-post impact evaluation programme.

The FCA's Values & Diversity  
Our ambition is to create a diverse and inclusive workplace that reflects the society we serve, helping us to be a better regulator.

As an inclusive employer, we are open to considering flexible working arrangements. Please contact our recruiter if you wish to apply for this role on a flexible basis.

Useful Information  
This role is graded as Senior Associate, POL C
The salary range will be approximately 46,000 to 63,000 GBP plus a competitive benefits package and non-contributory pension
Applications for this role close on 22nd July 2019
If you are interested learning more about the role:
For internal applications, contact Georgi Kostadinov on georgi.kostadinov@fca.org.uk
For external applications, contact Vijay Patel on vijay.patel@fca.org.uk
Please note – Applications must be submitted through our online portal. Applications sent via email will not be accepted.

To apply, click the Apply button below

Job summary